A Day At The Races
by hat-and-goggles
Summary: The story takes place in 1952, in a town in New Mexico. Keith Cogain, a half-Korean young man, is bullied for his mother's heritage. In part because we're in the middle of the Korean war, but mostly because white kids like picking on colored kids. He finds his outlet in street racing, and takes great pride in generally being better at it than his bully and rival, Jimmy Parker.
1. 1: Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge

"I fucking hate white people." Keith huffed as he stormed in, sitting down on a stool at the counter in the only diner in the small New Mexico town, a hand covering his left eye to hide a nasty bruise. Funny how things could go. A group of jocks had ganged up on him, and yet, he was the only one who had to go to detention. He was fuming, he was angry, he was sore. "You wouldn't happen to have a bag of ice somewhere in that freezer, would you Shiro?"

The older man on the other side of the counter sighed. "Keith, your dad is a white guy. I'm not giving you the ice unless you tell me exactly what happened." He said, rummaging around in the freezing compartment beneath the countertop.

That earned him a groan from Keith. "That's mean."

"No, _this_ is me being mean." He told him before dangling the bag of ice in front of his face, almost out of the boy's reach, and chuckled. "It's for your own good, Keith."

Keith rolled his eyes and snatched the bag from his hand, sighing in relief as he held it against his still swelling, still darkening eye. "It's Jimmy Parker. You know, the guy from my class who is everything that's wrong with society in a neat little package?"

"What did he do this time?"

"Take a wild guess." Keith snapped, removing the bag from his eye, showing Shiro his swollen face. Yeah, that was a mean bruise. "I tried to fight back; to defend myself, you know? What else was I supposed to do? But then his friends ganged up on me too. I couldn't take them on all at once…"

"Why'd he do it?"

"Because apparently his brother got killed in the war… He heard somewhere that my mom is from North Korea, so he decided to take his grief out on me, probably? Or, at least, that's what I'm guessing."

As if they spoke of the devil, the door opened and the diner filled up with the familiar laughter of Jimmy and his friends. Shiro glanced over and noticed Keith shrinking in his seat, like he was sure Jimmy and his friends would want to go for another round and he was desperately trying to hide.

"Well, well, went crying to your big brother, didn't you, Keith?"

"Jimmy, we're not related. Our parents aren't even from the same country."

"Eh, all you chinks look the same anyway, so who cares. We'll be taking that booth over there and we want four milkshakes. Two chocolate, one strawberry, one vanilla. Oh, and hurry up a little, we have a movie to catch."

Oh, Keith's face was turning red. Redder than his scarlet jacket. His knuckles, on the other hand, turned white, nails digging into his palm and drawing blood as the bag of ice against his face burst under the pressure of his grip. His voice shook in anger as he growled, "We can't just take this, Shiro. We have to say something. We have to _do_ _something_."

With a deep sigh, Shiro put down the ice cream scoop. "Keith, no. They're just common bullies. They'll lose interest if you don't react." He told him in a futile attempt to keep him from getting into another fight. "Be the better person. Remember, patience yields—"

"Hey, cripple!" The shout came from the booth occupied by Jimmy and his friends. "If you can't make those milkshakes yourself, get the Mexican kid in the kitchen to do it! The movie starts in twenty minutes."

"He's Cuban." Keith spoke up.

"And I'm sure you smoke him like a Cuban too, Cogain." Jimmy taunted, his friends cheering him on.

That was unfair. Sure, he and Lance didn't talk much, they didn't speak each other's language very well, but he was a good kid, and he sure as Hell didn't deserve this kind of treatment. "Why, you little—"

Suddenly, a shrill scream was torn from Jimmy's mouth, followed by childish giggling from the next booth over. None other than Katie Holt had just sacrificed her own sundae by dumping it in his neck.

"Serves you right for giving us white folk a bad name." She said, a devilish smirk gracing her lips.

The jock whipped around, bumping foreheads with the girl half his size. "You little bitch! I'll—I'll—!"

"You'll what?" came a voice from behind Katie. Jimmy looked up to find Hunk. Former high school wrestling champion who, in turn, was twice Jimmy's size. "Please. We're dying to hear."

What little color Jimmy had on his face seemed to immediately drain away upon seeing the large man stand up to him, but he tried to keep his cool nonetheless. He scoffed. "W-we'll see. Let's go guys, time to get out of this dump." He called to his friends who left with him.

The David and Goliath-like figures high fived with grins on their faces. Keith smiled as he walked over to their booth to sit with them. "Thanks, guys. That might have been the single best thing I've seen in my entire life."

"That might have been the single best thing I've _done_ in my entire life. Just the way he screamed was worth it all on its own." The small girl told him. "Speaking of good things, you look like you could use some good news." She said as she used her spoon to steal a scoop from Hunk's sundae. A dangerous endeavor for anyone else, but from Katie, he'd allow it.

"Do you have any?" Keith enquired vaguely.

"I got you a car. Fast. Italian."

Keith choked on the breath he didn't know he was holding. "You found a Ferrari?!" He was confused, but excited. There was no way she could have bought one from his winnings of last month.

"No, Keith…" Katie took off her glasses to pinch the bridge of her nose. "You need to win at least thirty more races to get one. No, I got a body. Fiat 500—"

Keith groaned. "Why not get me a Beetle while you're at it!"

Shiro's gaze snapped up from behind the counter. "What's wrong with a Beetle?"

"Just… _Everything_." Keith grumbled.

Katie hushed him. "I know it's small and small isn't your thing, but it's lightweight. Lightweight means it can be fast. _Really_ fast."

"Of course we'll have to weigh down the floor, with the way you tend to take corners. Wouldn't want you to crash on the first turn." Hunk added. "But it will be faster and more agile than Jimmy's Chevy. And after that whole ordeal, I can imagine you want him eating your dust."

Keith removed the ice bag to look at Katie. "How long?"

"Six weeks. Two months tops."

Keith smirked. "Get it done. I'll get you what you need."

"Psst! Shiro!" Lance hissed from the kitchen window, gesturing for him to come closer, quickly getting the older man's attention. "Can I, uh, ask you something?" He asked in his thick accent.

Curious, Shiro stepped closer to the window. "Of course, what do you want to know?" He asked in return.

"That, uh, pretty?" He was a little uncertain of his wording, but ultimately settled on 'pretty'. "That pretty girl who was at the counter just now... what is her name?" Lance asked. He had been admiring her from afar ever since he started working here, three months ago. He spent a larger amount of time fantasizing about talking, and possibly going on dates with her, than he was willing to admit. There wasn't really anything else he could do behind the grill other than letting his imagination do its thing, after all. However, he had never dared to approach her. The thought that his broken English might repel her, or worse, make her laugh at him, terrified him. She seemed to be a good friend of Shiro's, though. Maybe he could put in a good word for him?

"Pretty girl?" Shiro mumbled to himself as he quickly looked over the restaurant's patrons.

"The girl with the, uh, black hair." The boy clarified. "The one that looked like she has been in a fight."

Then it hit Shiro. "Oh, that's Keith. Don't worry about it. A lot of people mistake him for a girl at first glance. I wouldn't go around calling him a 'pretty girl', though, if I were you. The last person who did, didn't enjoy what came after." He joked before going back to his job behind the counter.

"Keith..." Lance mumbled, his mind wandering to the other constantly as he flipped the burgers on the grill.


	2. 2: Greased Lightning

"You know, I think it's almost kind of sad we have to get rid of Frankie. Come to think of it, we've spent our best times as friends with him! Can't we just keep him, please?" Hunk pleaded.

"Hunk, for the last time, I won't have any space left in dad's barn to keep him when Red's finished." Keith groaned as he rolled the wheels away from the beat up car that was currently being taken apart, staring hopefully at the half-finished car in the corner of the workshop. "Besides, I'm pretty sure he would have torn in two if I rounded another corner with him."

"That's because you drive like a maniac!"

"Trust me, big guy, there's method to the madness."

"Ah?" A third voice interjected. "Who is Frankie?" Lance had been living with the Holts for three months now, renting the room that belonged to Katie's older brother while he was away for college. He had traveled the states for months, taking various odd jobs before he started living with the family. However, he liked it here so much and adjusted so well that he settled down with relative ease, working at the garage for his rent and at the diner to support his family back in Cuba. Samuel, Katie's father, had already submitted the paperwork to apply for Lance's green card. The two of them had briefly toyed with the idea of enrolling him into the local high school, but upon realizing everyone his age would be graduating soon, they changed their minds, allowing Lance to focus fully on working, making friends, and fitting in.

"Oh, hey Lance! Frankie would be the car." Hunk said, proudly patting the roof, which drew a metallic groan from the structure that startled the man. "Okay, maybe we were right to take him apart…"

"You named your car... after Frankie Valli?" Lance asked, looking at Keith questioningly.

Keith chuckled. "It only screeches like him when I hit the brakes. But no, Katie named him after Frankenstein's monster. She and Hunk put it together from six different cars. Pretty impressive if you ask me, but if anyone could do it, these geniuses could."

"Why not fix it?" Lance asked again. A valid point, actually.

"Because we're spending more and more money on fixing it. It's a matter of time until we spend more money on fixing Frank than Keith actually earns in his races, so we need to build something more durable." Katie said as she walked out of her father's small office and used her pencil to point at numbers on a spreadsheet. "It's just not worth pumping money into it anymore. We'll probably still use bits and pieces for Red's engine, though."

Lance turned to Keith at a speed that could have given the boy a whiplash. "You race?!" He shouted as he grabbed the front of Keith's jacket, looking at him with stars in his eyes. "Can I see? Please?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. You don't have your green card yet, and these races are illegal. It's probably best if you're not seen anywhere near them." Keith tried to reason with him, but he couldn't bring himself to give Lance a hard 'no'. To be completely honest, the pout and the doe eyes gracing the face of the boy in the blue overalls only seemed to make it more difficult to give him one. Eventually, Keith cracked. "Okay, fine. Next week, Saturday night. We start near the bank on Montgomery Avenue at midnight."

"Yes!" Lance shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "I will be there!" he told Keith excitedly before Katie directed him to the car he was supposed to be working on.

"He's a good kid." Hunk commented with a fond smile on his face. "Fast learner, hard worker, very excitable."

Keith nodded in agreement. "I like him."

Saturday morning, 02:00 AM. Time for the final testing round. The last two weeks had been agonizing; the three of them put every waking hour not spent at school into tirelessly building and testing the car Keith would use to make history by knocking Jimmy Parker down a peg.

He impatiently waited as Hunk unloaded the small, scarlet car from the trailer and onto the street that would, unbeknownst to the authorities, host the race tonight.

Despite his initial reluctance about the Fiat 500, he had seen what she was capable of on the test runs on the Holt garage's parking lot. She packed a punch under the hood. If his opponents tonight would underestimate her as much as he had when Katie had first told him of her plan, he would easily win.

The competition would be crazy tonight. He had heard rumors about professionals competing, coming all the way from California and Nevada to assert their superiority over 'every tractor racing hick in this town'. But none of that would matter when he and Red leave them in their dust as soon as the starting signal sounds.

Keith got into Red once Hunk finished putting her into place. Twenty-two hours to go, and Keith was already buzzing with adrenaline. He put the key into the ignition and the engine roared to life, shifted into third gear, pulled his foot off the clutch and simultaneously stomped the gas pedal into the floor.

Keith smirked as everything in the world but him, Red and the road faded away. Nothing else mattered.

' _Let's make this kitty purr._ '


	3. 3: Bat Out Of Hell

"Well, that sucks." Keith mumbled as he blearily stared at the now half-empty pack of cigarettes he had only purchased that morning. But nevertheless, he plucked one from the crumpled, cardboard container anyway, clamping the filter between his teeth as he made an attempt to light it.

He was shaking like a leaf. Never before had he been this nervous going into a race, but he had a lot riding on tonight; not only his pride, but a large sum of money as well.

Things hadn't been going too well for his family financially lately, so he discreetly did what he could to help. After all, if they had only the slightest idea of what he was doing out here, he would surely be grounded for the rest of his life.

Katie, sick of watching the pathetic display of Keith's lighter swaying just past the tip of his cigarette again and again, grabbed his wrist to steady him, finally lighting the thing.

"Thanks…"

"Don't mention it."

"So… Did you guys get, like, any sleep last night?"

"Yes, we did. Did you?"

Keith's deep sigh, as well as the dark circles under his eyes, were enough of an answer to her.

"Just try not to crash, alright?"

"Yes, _mom_." Keith groaned, sarcasm oozing from every part of his attitude.

"Are you sure you're good to race?" Hunk asked, wiping his greasy hands on an old rag.

"For the second time, yes. As soon as I'm behind the wheel, I'll be back to my normal, speeding self."

"Then maybe you should hurry, they're starting the race in five minute—"

"Hello! Good night, everyone!" Lance greeted from right behind Keith, getting a small yelp from the shorter boy.

"Good night? I didn't think you were planning to sleep out here." Katie playfully teased him.

Lance looked at her surprised, taking a small moment before exclaiming "Evening! Good evening!" smiling sheepishly as the little girl patted his back.

"Excited for the race?" She asked, adjusting her glasses

"Yes! I'm very excited. Thanks for letting me watch. What should we do afterwards?"

" _You_ should stay close to Katie and Hunk and get out of here as soon as we've ran the course. Wouldn't want you to get into trouble because of me." Keith smiled and winked before he made his way to his car. He didn't catch Hunk and Katie exchanging a questioning look.

Why, oh good, gracious God, _why_ had he been set to start next to Jimmy? Better yet, why is the fair skinned, blond haired, blue eyed jock even talking to him?!

"Oh my goodness, if that isn't the cutest little 'muscle car' I've ever seen, Cogain. If it performs anything like you, I'm sure I won't have any trouble winning tonight." Jimmy taunted, followed by cheers from his entourage.

"Oh, Jimmy..." Keith sighed as he got into the driver's seat of the bright red Fiat, leaning out of the open window with a smirk of faux confidence. "You know what the girls say. 'The bigger the car, the smaller the—"

"Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!" Shouted the announcer from an empty crate. "Ready, get set…" He paused for dramatic effect. "GO!"

And surely enough, as soon as Keith kicked the gas pedal into the floor, all the panic and exhaustion subsided for him to feel nothing but a buzz of pure thrill. Everything around him became an increasing blur as he drove faster and faster, relying on nothing but his instincts and his faith in Katie and Hunk's handiwork.

Before he knew it, he had crossed the finish line. He came in first. He won. Excitedly, he got out of the car. His hands still itching and his face slightly numb from the adrenaline that remained in his system. Without a second thought, he grabbed the hands that first reached for him and kissed the lips that first greeted him.

' _Lance_.'

Keith pulled back from the kiss to get a good look at the boy's face. Why he looked so mortified was beyond him, until he was rudely dragged back into reality by the hands of a police officer on his shoulders. James Parker Senior.

The crowd quickly dispersed in the few seconds it took for Keith to be painfully shoved against his car. ' _Well_ ,' he thought. ' _at least Hunk and Katie made it out in time._ '

"Keith Cogain, you are under arrest for participating in an illegal street race and whatever we can find regarding what you just did to that poor boy." He growled as he jerked Keith's arms behind his back and tightly locked the cold, metal handcuffs in place. "You have the right to remain silent."

Once Officer Parker had read Keith his rights and locked him up in his squad car, he turned to Lance, who was still watching Red being loaded onto a trailer. The boy jolted when the man placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Son, if you plan on staying in this country for much longer, I'd suggest you stay away from delinquents like him."

"Can I, uh, ask you something, officer?" He asked. "Why were you, uh, so against Keith... kissing me? What if I wasn't, uh, you know, against it?"

"Well, kid, I don't know how they do things in Colombia or Argentina-"

"Cuba, sir." Lance corrected meekly, but the older man wouldn't listen.  
"-or wherever the hell you came from, but we live in a civilized country, and civilized boys don't go around kissing other boys. Now stop bothering me and go home before I call immigration on you."

"Yes sir…" He mumbled before turning around and starting his walk home.


	4. 4: Jailhouse Rock

When Keith woke again, it was on a moldy smelling cot in a cold jail cell at the local police station. He huddled into his jacket for warmth. His feet felt like clumps of ice inside his beat up sneakers, as did pretty much the rest of his body, the cotton jacket did very little to relieve him from the cold. Instead, he sat up. Rubbing the heels of his hands into his crusty eyes before running his fingers through what could be considered the worst bed head he ever had.

In short, last night hadn't treated him well. Last night had shown him all he could have had, all he wanted to have, before stripping all of it away from him, just to remind him that the universe had it out for him.

The vivid memory of the look on Lance's face when Keith was torn away from him, bent over his car as his rival's dad cuffed him and read him his rights haunted him. He remembered how Lance stayed behind to get answers, even after everyone else had fled the scene. Only to be told to stay away from him. It all left a sour taste in Keith's mouth. He tried to swallow it down along with the bile he felt rising up his throat.

Jimmy must have known he was going to lose, he must have been the one who tipped off his dad, he was the reason Keith was in a jail cell, freezing his toes off for what could have been easily solved with a hefty speeding ticket. Keith's eyes snapped upwards when he heard a rattling sound; it was Jimmy's dad unlocking the door.

"You're lucky, kid. Your dad just paid the bail." Officer Parker told him.

Keith, on the other hand, wasn't so sure that meant he was lucky. Already dreading the ride home, Keith got to his feet and walked over to Officer Parker, who brought him to his father. Keith's dad gripped his arm tightly, with an almost bruising force as he thanked Officer Parker before practically dragging Keith out of the police station. Keith all but whimpered as his father shoved him into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut. When his dad got into the driver's seat and started the engine, Keith spoke up weakly. "Dad, I'm sorry about the racing, but I only—"

He was cut off by a loud, barking laugh from his father. "The races?! You think I'm mad about the _races_?!"

"Well, aren't you?" Keith asked, slightly taken aback. If his dad wasn't mad about the races, what _was_ he mad about?

"Of course I am, but sometimes a dad has to prioritize. What the Hell did you think you were doing making out with that boy?!"

"It was only a kiss, we didn't go any—" Keith recoiled and shut himself up upon his father's glare. "Honestly, I don't think I was thinking at all…" Keith mumbled, looking down, cramming a bent cigarette between his lips and lighting it with shaking hands. However, it wasn't long until his dad snatched it away to take a drag from it himself. "Hey!"

"Son, for the next month, you're grounded. No telephone, no television, no friends and last but not least, no smoking. I've already called Mr. Shirogane and Mr. Holt to send you home the second they see you anywhere near the diner and the garage."

Keith huffed, crossing his arms and glaring out the window. All this trouble just because he kissed a boy. It didn't seem worth the fuss.

"I should have seen it coming. Should have nipped it right in the bud when you decided to grow your hair out. I swear to God, all I ever asked for was a son, but now it's looking more and more like I got a daughter instead."

The following day, Keith was confronted with stares from everyone at school. Keith Cogain, the rebel without a cause, showed up with his hair trimmed short, neatly parted on the right side of his head and drenched in hair gel. Not a single one of his unruly hairs would fall out of place. It felt like a damn helmet when it dried. He was outfitted in a stark white button up shirt, tucked into neatly pressed pants.

"Thanks, mom." He sarcastically mumbled under his breath. Keith loved his mother, he really did, but this was pushing it. This was humiliating. This was putting a sign on his back that screamed 'Please beat me up, I'm an easy target!' and Keith hated every second of it.

The stares were soon replaced by whispers, which were, in turn, replaced by laughter and Keith could feel the 'tough guy' image he spent years building crumbling under his feet. No more façade to hide behind. There was only the short, scrawny Asian kid who just happened to know how to be really, really fast.

He was about to bolt out of there when a hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him into a nearby classroom.

"Oh my God, Keith, I had to see it to believe it…" Katie stared up at him in awe. She had barely even recognized him in the hallway, but as the only colored kid left in this school, Keith tended to stand out.

"Would you stop staring at me like that?!" Keith snapped, his frustration finally getting to him. A pang of guilt struck him when he saw the girl recoil from his outburst. "I'm sorry…" he whispered.

"Hey, it's okay. I would be on edge too if I were in your situation." Katie said, rubbing his arm reassuringly. "Word on the street is that the police are auctioning off Red sometime next week."

"For real? That's soon." Keith said, deep in thought. They had gotten cheap cars from the police department auctions before, but those had all been impounded for at least a year before they were sold. "Katie, I can't go to that auction myself. My dad will actually kill me if I set foot outside the house. You've got all my money, I need you to win that car back for me."

"Yeah, about that…" Katie whispered. "Word on the street is also that Jimmy wants it as well. I promise, I'll give it all I've got, but we've got tough competition."

Keith smiled sadly as he pulled Katie into a tight hug. "You've got this. I believe in you, champ."

"Keith, buddy, I'm really not sure I should be helping you skip school." Hunk weakly protested as the younger boy hopped into the passenger seat of his pick-up.

"Come on man, it's just a ride to Carlsbad. You're the only one who can get me back here before my dad shows up and won't rat me out." Keith said as he quickly counted a hundred dollars off a large wad of cash, before stuffing the money back into his jacket.

"Seriously, why don't you just put everything in your account at once?"

"Because an eighteen year old turning in two thousand dollars once every other week would be a little suspicious, wouldn't it?"

"And the reason you don't use the bank here...?"

"Also too suspicious. The tellers in Carlsbad catching on to a pattern is okay. They don't know my parents. But tellers at our bank, the one my parents use, catching on to a pattern is not okay, because they can and will tell my parents and I would be grounded for the rest of my life."

"Eh, fair enough."

"Good afternoon, sir, how can I help you?" The teller asked, her tone sugary sweet. She was young, fresh out of high school from the looks of it. Cute, even, had she been Keith's type.

"I'd like to make a deposit, please." Keith placed his $100 on the counter and managed to force a smile. "K. Cogain."

"I'm going to need to see some ID."

Keith nodded, flashing his driver's license.

"Wow, Mr. Cogain, I wouldn't have recognized you! You sure clean up nicely. Are you seeing anyone by any chance?" The teller smiled up at him, more flirtatious than anything else this time.

Blood rushed to his face, coloring his cheeks and ears a bright red. "N-no… But there is someone I'd like to date." He stammered nervously.

The girl behind the counter only smiled wider. "She's a very lucky girl, you know?"

 **'** ** _Yeah… Lucky girl...'_**


	5. 5: Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

A week later, on Monday morning, just like all mornings the week before, Keith was dropped off at school by his father. He had made it painfully clear that he didn't trust Keith to go straight to school and back without swinging by his friends along the way. The rides to and from school were always deathly silent. That was, if the two weren't shouting at each other. Ever since Keith's father had picked him up from the police station, there hadn't been a single civil conversation between them.

None of that mattered when he made his way over the high school parking lot. All seemed right with the world when he spotted a shiny, red Fiat. _His_ shiny, red Fiat. He ran over to the car and examined it closely to make sure it really was Red. There was no doubt left in his mind. This was her. His pride and joy; his freedom had returned to him. He happily turned around when he heard footsteps approaching. "I can't believe you did it Ka—tie…. YOU." He sneered when he discovered it was Jimmy swinging Red's keys around his fingers.

"Ya snooze, ya lose, faggot. Maybe if you'd shown up at the auction yourself you would have been able to win her back. Oh, wait! That's right, you were grounded. I still can't believe you sent your munchkin bookie to do the bidding for you." Jimmy teased, wiping away a tear from his laughter.

"I will get her back." Keith growled.

"I doubt it, little man. I won the auction. I have the paperwork and everything."

"A race. You and me. If I win, I get Red back."

"And what will I get if I beat you?" Jimmy smirked, leaning over the boy. The challenge seemed to have piqued his interest. "If I remember correctly, your family doesn't have much to give, even less after paying your bail. What do you have to offer?"

"You'll get what you've wanted for the last two years. If I lose, I'll move in with my grandmother in Pyongyang."

Jimmy grinned down at the smaller boy. "Cogain, you've got yourself a deal."

"The same course on Montgomery Avenue. Saturday night, midnight, three weeks from now. Oh, and one piece of advice. Don't fuck with Katie's handiwork on Red."

"Why? Scared I'll beat you?"

"No. Because she would murder you in your sleep if you did."

"Katie, what the Hell?! Why didn't you tell me you didn't win back red?!" Keith shouted as he slammed her locker shut.

"Are you kidding me? Hunk and I called to your house three times! We even tried visiting, but your dad just wasn't having it." Katie shouted, pacing back and forth as she threw her hands in the air. "He even went on a rant about us being a bad influence on you, even though the reverse is most likely true. And it's not like we could ask you to let your hair down like some kind of Rapunzel, because your mom shaved off your mullet!"

Keith's hands flew to the back of his head to cover his painfully exposed neck. "Okay, yeah, I get it. I'm sorry… I need your help…" He mumbled, glancing away from her.

"I know that look." Katie sighed. "You did something stupid, didn't you?"

Keith only nodded slowly.

"Keith, what did you do?" She demanded, like a mother would to a small child.

"I… I challenged Jimmy to a race. If I win, I'll have Red back, but if I lose…" He paused. Keith had known his end of the bargain had been the worst idea he'd ever had the second it slipped from his mouth, but until now he hadn't realized the gravity of the situation. He would lose everything he had ever known, loved and fought for in his entire life. That realization brought actual tears to his eyes. "If I lose, I have to move in with my grandma in North Korea."

Katie let out an exasperated sigh. "This might be the single stupidest thing you've ever done." She scolded him. "But the cause isn't lost yet. When are you racing?"

"Saturday in three weeks."

"It's gonna be tight, but I think we can make it. It'll be risky, but if I can stall the client for a little bit, we might be able to borrow a Shelby that's in the shop right now. It won't be as agile, but—"

"No need, I can get you a car. Call Hunk and tell him to get the trailer to Shiro's place."

"Shiro's place? But he can't even drive!"

"Just because he can't drive doesn't mean he doesn't own a car." Keith smiled. "His mom bought it for him in case his arm ever came back. Can you and Hunk work the same magic you worked on the Fiat on a Beetle?"

"We can certainly try." She nodded.

Keith pulled the girl into a tight hug. "Good. I'll run out to the diner to let Shiro know we're borrowing his car. Gotta be back before the big bad dad comes to pick me up after all."

"What do you think you're doing? You're not supposed to be here." Shiro told Keith sternly.

"What, like you're going to rat me out? I'll keep it short. Hunk is on his way to your place to pick up your Volkswagen."

"Why is he doing that? There's nothing wrong with it."

"I know, that's why I told him to take it to the garage. I need to borrow it to race Jimmy."

"Keith, you can't just do that, that's not how it works."

"It's how it will have to work!" Keith snapped, the tears were welling up in his eyes again. "At least for now. Shiro, I made a mistake. I challenged Jimmy to a race and if I lose—I have to move away… I won't ever see you again…" He choked up, tears finally spilling from his eyes as a sob shook his entire body.

Shiro's heart ached at the sight. He had never seen Keith like this before. Angry, sure, but in the seven years since they met, he hadn't seen him cry. Ever. "It's okay. It's going to be okay." He whispered as he pulled Keith into a firm hug. "Keith, you're so talented, you could beat that—that son of a gun on a bicycle if you wanted to. You're going to stay right here with us, where you belong." Shiro assured him, but the sobs escaping Keith's throat told him the younger man wasn't so sure about that.

They stayed like that for a while, until a small, worried voice sounded from the kitchen window. "Keith?"

' _Lance_.'


	6. 6: Paradise By The Dashboard Light

The finale of A Day At The Races! It's finally here! However, if you started reading this fan fiction before March of 2018, I highly recommend you go back to the other chapters before you start reading this 3K+ finale extravaganza, because I've updated _all chapters_! I've heavily edited a lot of dialogue, added extra scenes and threw in themes that weren't there before. An overall improvement if you ask me. If you've started reading this fan fiction in or after March of 2018, I hope you have fun with this final chapter of A Day At The Races, and I hope you enjoy the next installment in my 50s AU, Loving The Alien.

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"Keith, what happened? What… What did you do?" Lance demanded as he promptly invaded Keith's personal space.

"I-I… uh…" Keith stammered. "I challenged Jimmy."

"And? I heard you say you made a, uh, mistake. And challenging Jimmy does not sound like one."

"If I lose… I have to move in with my grandmother... Who lives in North Korea…"

"Que?! Are you crazy?!" Lance shouted, grabbing the front of Keith's jacket, pulling him closer. "Keith, i-if you go there you-you.. you might never come back!" Lance stuttered, stumbling over his words.

There was a desperation in Lance's voice that cut deeply into Keith's heart. His chest grew tight, he couldn't bring himself to speak or even breathe. He didn't want to hurt Lance in this way, but what else could he do?

"Lance, I-I…" Keith started, but he was soon interrupted by Shiro, pulling them apart.

"Look, I understand you boys have a lot to discuss," Shiro cut in. "but could you please take it to the back?" The older man asked, shooting an apologetic look at the few patrons in a booth at the far end of the restaurant, as he guided the boys to the storage room behind the kitchen and quickly leaving them alone.

"Well? You were saying?" Lance demanded, arms crossed.

Keith had never seen him this angry. Or was it disappointment? He wasn't sure, but both options were equally painful.

"Look, I know what I did was stupid, I know when— _if_ I move away I won't ever see you guys again, but I made this bet. I can't just go back on it."

"Why not?!"

"Because by tonight, everyone in town will know about it! If I chicken out now, I'll never hear the end of it! The bullying is bad enough as it is, Lance, I don't want to make it worse…" Keith pleaded, swallowing around a lump in his throat as tears welled up in his eyes.

For a long moment, there was nothing but Keith's face growing red with the breath he was holding, until Lance let out a deep sigh.

"Okay. I understand. If you really…" he took a moment to calm down, exhaling deeply. "...feel that way, you should race." He admitted. "But there is _one_ more thing we should talk about."

"What would that be?"

"The, uh, beso. You know, the…" Lance wracked his mind for the right word, before resorting to Spanish cursing in frustration, gesturing at his lips.

"The kiss?" Keith suggested.

"Sí! Yes, the kiss. Or will we pretend that never happened?"

"I don't know…" Keith sighed. "Do _you_ want to pretend it never happened?"

"Not really? I liked it." Lance stated simply. "Even if I did, uh, want to pretend it never happened, I don't think we could. Everyone knows it happened by now." He let out a deep sigh. "Keith, I don't know what you meant by that, uh, kiss, but if it meant what I think it meant... I would like that, but before we do anything, I need to know if you want it too. You know… A, uh, novio."

"...a what?" Keith questioned.

"The thing girls have?" He tried.

The silence and questioning stare on Keith's face prompted Lance to keep talking.

"Uh, it's like a husband, but not married."

"You mean a boyfriend?"

"Yes, a boyfriend. So I… need to know if you want a boyfriend. That would be me."

"Well, sure. I don't think I've ever liked someone the same way I've liked you." Keith reasoned.

"Is that a yes or no?" Lance asked, crossing his arms impatiently.

"It's a yes. Absolutely yes." Keith reassured the other boy, giving him a soft smile.

"In that case I would like to make a, uh, second bet." Lance said, patting Keith's chest, a sly smile creeping onto his face. "I will be your boyfriend, but you will have to win the race first."

"You know you'll be putting a target on your back as well, right? People might start being meaner to you because of me." Keith warned him, unconsciously taking hold of Lance's hands.

"Keith, why do you think I don't know that? I like you. I'm in love with you. I'm not going to give that up because of what bullies might do." Lance whispered, squeezing Keith's hands. He could feel the other's hands jerk, like he resisted the urge to pull away the second he became aware he was holding Lance's hands.

"You have no idea how much that means to me." Keith smiled, pulling the other boy into a tight hug.

"Pidge, are you sure this is a good idea?" Hunk asked while he worked away at the engine of Shiro's black VW bug. "I mean, I get that we don't technically have the time or money to be doing this, but… if we make the slightest mistake, we could be killing our best friend."

"I know." The little girl sighed from under the car as she tightened the bolts with a wrench. "Just try not to think about it too hard."

"How am I supposed not to think about that too hard?!"

"Try focusing on keeping him alive instead." Said an oddly familiar voice, entering the garage.

Katie bumped her head against the underside of the car and pushed herself out from under it. The girl groaned in pain before she called out for her brother. "Matt, what are you doing here?! Aren't you supposed to be in college?"

"Shiro called me. He said he wanted me to help you guys make sure Keith wins his next race. He sounded really concerned, so I figured it was urgent."

"Yeah, the stakes are pretty high this time. Are you sure you haven't grown out of boosting cars, Mr. Lawyer man?" Katie teased.

"Is that a challenge, little miss physics genius?" Matt smirked.

"So Keith, how was school?"

"Same old, same old. Nothing special." The boy mumbled, his fork poking at his potatoes absentmindedly.

"I don't think so." His mother stated matter-of-factly. "I think something big is going on, and you're trying to hide it."

Keith tensed to the point of almost bending his cutlery. "I swear, there's nothing going on." He forced through gritted teeth.

His mother smiled softly, placing a gentle hand on Keith's.

"We spoke with your teachers earlier, and your grades appear to be skyrocketing. We're so proud of you." His father said, beaming with pride. "To reward you, we've decided to allow you one hour of television or phone calls every day. However, the rest of your punishment remains intact."

"Um, well, thanks? I guess..." Keith stammered. If he was being completely honest, he hadn't expected this to go so well. His mind had wandered too fast to the thought that his father might have found out about him seeing Shiro and Lance, earlier that day. Slowly, he relaxed as the nerves left him, and he just enjoyed dinner with his family. That was, until his father spoke up again.

"Son, remember the morning I picked you up from the county jail? You asked me why I wasn't mad at you for racing, and I told you I was?"

"Unfortunately, yes..." Keith mumbled. He really didn't want to think about that morning now that things seemed to be looking up.

"You have to understand, it's for your own safety that I don't want you to race. Any given Monday, I can open a national newspaper and read about how a bunch of wayward kids got hurt in a car crash caused by street racing. I was so worried that may happen to you..."

"But it won't! Dad, I'm smarter than whatever dumb kids going around, crashing into the side of a building in California! Pidge and Hunk always make sure I can win safely!"

"I still don't want you anywhere near those races, you hear me? If you don't cause a crash, that Parker kid will. What if you got caught up in that?!"

Keith could only groan.

"Keith, honey, we just don't want you to risk your neck at those races. Whatever the prizes may be, it's not worth it." His mother pleaded, holding his hand in both of hers.

"I know, mom… It's just…" Keith sighed, rubbing his hands in his eyes. "Thirty-five hundred dollars per win is a lot of money, and with all due respect, it's more than what dad makes in a month. I know things have been difficult for you guys financially, and you've been trying so hard to hide it from me, but I know we're only barely scraping by… So I've only been keeping a thousand dollars from every win to pay off Hunk and Pidge. The rest I've all put into a secret bank account in case you guys ever… you know… ran out of money. I've already been slipping you guys smaller bills during slow weeks..."

His parents looked at one another before looking back at their son, surprised at both his level of maturity in helping out, but the child-like fear of getting caught going behind their backs as well.

"I-I'm sorry." Keith sobbed, tears welling up in his eyes. "I shouldn't have done this without you guys knowing, but it was the only way I knew I could help and I'm really, _really_ good at it. Please, just let me help you."

"I'm sorry, Keith." His mother whispered as she pulled him into a warm embrace. "If only I had known, I wouldn't have punished you so harshly." She said as she petted the back of his neck, still neatly buzzed, regretting what she had done to her son. "Just promise to stay safe, okay?"

"I promise."

Finally, three weeks later, the night of the race was there. Half the town seemed to have gathered at the start of the course, and Keith was willing to bet the other half was waiting near the finish line. He shook heavily from the nerves, but he wasn't about to admit that. Everyone who would ask about it, would get the same answer 'I'm not shaking because I'm nervous, I'm shaking because I haven't had a smoke in three weeks, and my mom would literally kill me if she smelled it on me.' It was only half a lie, he supposed. His mom was a very observant person after all. She would always notice when— Keith's train of thought was immediately interrupted when a lit cigarette appeared in front of his face.

"Here. I think you need this more than I do." Shiro smiled. "Are you ready for the race?"

Keith immediately snatched the cigarette from Shiro's fingers and took a long drag from it. "You're the best." He sighed. "And, to be honest, I don't think I've ever been less ready for a race… I mean, I've dealt with high stakes before, but this is something else completely. What if he really wins?"

"He won't." Matt boasted as he walked up to them. "Shiro called me over to help out with the car after all."

"Shut up, Matt, you didn't even do all that much." Katie giggled as she elbowed her older brother in his side.

"Where's Hunk?" Keith remarked as he looked around for the big guy.

"Still unloading the Volkswagen. We're calling her 'the Black Death'!" Katie said as she excitedly bounced on the spot.

"Absolutely not!" Shiro gasped as he clutched his chest. "That's still _my car_ you're talking about and I don't want it associated with death in any way! Especially when the stakes are this high!"

"'Black Widow', then." Katie sighed, rolling her eyes while her brother mouthed 'I told you so'.

"Katie!" Shiro protested.

"Okay, so it's just the boring old Volkswagen Beetle." Katie said, defeated.

"Guys, the car is all set." Hunk smiled as he wiped his hands on an old rag. "Keith, do you wanna go for a test lap before the race starts?"

"Can't. There's only a few minutes left. I can't do an entire lap in that little time." Keith mumbled, finishing off Shiro's cigarette in a single drag. "Guess I'll just have to put my fate in your handiwork." he smiled, patting their backs before he walked up to Shiro's car. He realized very soon that he shouldn't have finished that cigarette as quickly as he did, as he became hyper-aware of the stares drilling holes in his back.

"Hey Cogain, when I beat your sorry ass I'll make sure to stop by your place to help you pack." Jimmy taunted him from the red Fiat.

"On what, your sister's tricycle? By the time I'm done with you, you won't have a car left to drive me to the airport with." Keith said as he ducked into the driver's seat, angrily slamming the door shut. "Are we racing or what?!" He shouted at Jimmy's second in command, who held his dad's shotgun pointed up in the air.

"Ye-yes!" He stammered. "Start your engines. Ready, get set, GO!" The second in command said as he shot the gun into the air, sounding the start signal.

He was glad Jimmy had agreed to race the same course again. Keith knew these streets so well, he could practically race this course blindfolded. A hundred yards straight ahead, turn left, turn right, half a mile straight ahead on a dirt road leading out of town before turning right and right again on the way back into town.

The course itself was pretty easy, but staying ahead of Jimmy was a whole different story. Keith could only stay a foot ahead of his rival at best, when he was ahead of him at all.

Suddenly, a sharp turn came up. Keith had forgotten that road workers had closed off Dos Santos Street, forcing them to turn right. Keith could barely slow down in time to round the corner and keep all four wheels on the ground as he did so. Jimmy, on the other hand, must have noticed it too late. Keith could hear the screeching of Red's tires from his left as his opponent hit the brakes. It must have been a last ditch attempt to round the corner and overtake his position, but it was too late. Mere seconds later he heard the unmistakable sound of a car crashing against an old tree.

Keith panicked, bringing Shiro's black beetle to a screeching halt. The older man's words echoed through his head.

' _Be the better person_.' Shiro's words echoed through Keith's head, much to his frustration.

"Be the better person… God damn it!" Keith screamed and slammed his fists to the steering wheel before getting out and rushing to the distorted shell of the Fiat, _his_ Fiat, and yanked the passenger door open.

"Jimmy, are you okay?!" Keith yelled at his opponent, who coughed and groaned in pain. "Good enough for me." He huffed, taking a tight hold on the other's jacket, slowly but surely pulling him out of the wreckage, getting him to safety before the leaking fuel tank and torn electrical wires lit the scarlet car on fire.

"Did… did you just... save me?" Jimmy asked, hesitantly looking at Keith, who slung Jimmy's arm around his neck to support him.

"Don't mention it. Let's just get you to your dad so he can take you to the hospital."

"James Parker Junior, you dumb piece of shit!" Officer Parker shouted as he stormed up to them.

"Ah, there he is right now..." Keith remarked, thoroughly unimpressed by the man's attitude towards his son. Maybe his own dad wasn't all that bad.

"Did you really think losing one son this year wasn't enough?! You just had to almost get yourself killed too?!" The man shouted in his son's face as he shook him by the front of his shirt.

"Stop it! You're only making it worse!" Keith objected while trying to hold the other as still as possible.

"Don't you tell me how to discipline my own son, you yellow little shit!"

Keith flinched, closing his eyes when the police officer raised his fist to him.

"And don't you _dare_ to discipline mine." A voice called out from behind the officer. A voice called out from behind the officer.

Keith's heart leapt when he opened his eyes again to find his father, stopping Officer Parker from punching him.

"Now go get your son to a damn hospital. Like you said, losing one son over the span of a year is enough. You should at least make sure your youngest is okay."

With that, the police officer begrudgingly lifted his son from Keith's shoulders and carried him away.

"Thanks dad. But… What are you doing here? I never told you about tonight."

"Well, this race was the talk of the town all week. It would have reached us sooner or later. So, we decided to at least come and watch."

"You did so well, Keith. We're so proud of you." His mother cooed as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I guess you were right, though, dad. That if I didn't crash, Jimmy would." Keith jested.

"Well, he doesn't look like he's about to race in a long while,so that's one danger out of the way." he said as he watched the officer carefully guide his son into the squad car. "You know, son, you're really good at this, and you managed to not put yourself in any immediate danger until you went in to save Jimmy… So,what I'm trying to say is… Just keep doing what you do best… and stay safe."

"Keith, you're a hero!" Lance shouted, flinging his arms around Keith before pressing a kiss to his cheek. He nearly knocked the other over, but Lance couldn't and wouldn't contain his enthusiasm.

Keith let out a nervous chuckle as he barely kept himself standing. "By the way, mom, dad, this is my friend, Lance."

"The boy you kissed?" His mother asked, prying for answers.

Keith blushed, startled and almost scared to reply to his mother's remark. He stuttered, "I-I mean, yeah." He stuttered, looking away from her.

"Well, we've talked about it, your father and I. It wasn't easy, but we decided that your happiness is more important to us than our own comfort. If the two of you really are in love with each other, we shouldn't want to keep you apart. You'll always be safe in our home. This Lance boy seems like a nice guy. I think he is the right man for you." The smile on his mother's face, Keith noticed, was clearly one of endearment, only emphasized by the way she pinched the other boy's cheek, drawing a joyous giggle from his lips.

"You know, Keith, my parents weren't too happy when I brought your mother home for the first time either." His father explained. "But after a few years of persistence, they got used to the idea of having a daughter in law that wasn't the same color as them. It took me too long to realize our predicaments aren't really all that different. So, in short, you have our blessing."

Lance immediately took the opportunity to pull Keith in for a kiss on the lips. When he pulled back, he laughed at the utterly befuddled expression on Keith's face. "'Novio', remember?"

"B-but I didn't win?" Keith stuttered, barely daring to look Lance in the eye.

"You saved him, Keith. You won." Lance smiled, pulling the shorter boy into a tight embrace. He eventually let go when he noticed their friends were gathering around them.

"I'm proud of you, Keith." Shiro smiled, patting his back. "You did the right thing."

"But I didn't win… Hell, I didn't even finish. Jimmy's crew can still use that against me." Keith protested weakly.

"Well, for what it's worth, Jimmy didn't finish either. And _you saved him_. If his buddies try anything funny, we'll stand up to them like we always do." Hunk remarked, flexing his bicep.

"And so will we." Keith's dad said, placing a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Group hug!" Katie announced as she pushed Lance and Keith's mom closer to them, as Shiro closed in on them from the other side, wrapping their arms around them. Hunk finally joined, tightly squeezing everyone together.

"Not so tight, Hunk!" Keith complained.

"Nope! You're having this bonding moment whether you like it or not." The large man insisted.

Keith chuckled as he struggled to turn to Lance. "You know, if you're going to be my boyfriend, there's probably going to be a lot more of this."

The other boy laughed heartily. "I look forward to it." He said as he looked lovingly at the other.

"Good." Keith smiled as he kissed the other. "I love you."

"Te amo también."


End file.
